the summer you noticed me ↠ conrad fisher {1}

t h i r t y - o n e

      "You sure your okay?" Conrad asks. He's tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, his eyes scanning my face for any sign of distress.

      I press my cheek onto his hand. This thumb lightly strokes my face, and I let out a deep breathe. He moves so he's sitting beside me, and he wraps an arm around my shoulder letting my head fall onto his.

"I'm okay, I'll worry about it when the time comes, I just need a second." I wrap my arms around his waist.

"Take all the time you need, I'm going no where."

"Sometimes you're so sweet that it makes me want to cry," I say. The best source of action is for me to change the subject right now.

I'd much rather cry over Conrad's sweetness then cry real tears over my parents. He laughs, and brushes my hair down on the back of my head.

  "I hate that you've never been able to take a second when you need it. It's no wonder you have panic attacks, Claire. You've never been aloud to feel your feelings, so it just explodes out of you." He pauses, and leans me back so that I can see his face. My eyes lock with his. "But, that's going to change. You're with me now, and that means we," he emphasizes we, to show it isn't just me in this but us, "both have to learn how to take a second. Life gets too much, second. I'm upset because of my mom, I'll take a second. We need to take seconds to get through life, okay?" He asks.

I smile, and nod. Then I place a kiss on his lips. "We'll take a second then go back in, it's Belly's birthday."

      "Okay, let me know when you're ready," he says and sighs. I know it isn't from impatience it's him letting out a content sigh because for once in both of our lives we have someone we can breathe with.

*   *   *

"Ow. Oh.." Belly groans.

I press a hand to my lips to cover my smile. She's so helpless when it comes to make up, I feel like I'm watching a toddler play with their mommy's make up as she gets ready.

She pokes her eye again, and this time Taylor stops what she's doing to laugh. "It goes on your lashes, not in your eyeball."

Belly stops, and stares as her. "Yeah, that's what I'm trying to do!"

"Just let me do it," Taylor says taking the mascara from her. Belly doesn't argue she just lets her do it. "Tonight is gunna be so much fun."

"Yeah," Belly says very unconvincingly. "I hope it's not a disaster like the last party I went too."

I'm reminded of our first night here. It was a horrible party. It all started by walking forever to get to the beach, and once we did the first thing that happens is I freak out. Per usual. I felt alone because my parents hadn't checked in on me since I gotten to Cousins, and Steven got all brotherly with Belly so I felt alone. Then I had a literal breakdown seeing Conrad with Nicole, and tonight should be fantastic because this is her party. I'm only going to be there for Belly.

"You went to one party for like 20 minutes," Taylor says. "It barley even counts.

"How were we there for only like 20 minutes and so much went down?" I whisper to myself.

I didn't even mention when Belly made a fool of herself in front of everyone by fighting with Steven, then she got punched in the face by trying to breakup a fight between Jeremiah and another guy.

"Yeah, and I embarrassed myself in front of everyone." Belly says.

"It's true, she kinda did," I say finally putting something into this conversation.

Belly turns around pointing at me, "see! Even Claire admits it, and she lies to me all the time to protect my feelings!" Belly screams.

"Hey, I do it because I love you," I frown.

"And I love you, but I appreciate when your honest more."

I shrug my shoulders and nod. "Point taken."

"Belly, you made people notice you. Enjoy it, don't spoil it," Taylor says.

"I mean, I guess. It was pretty badass having a black eye for a day," Belly says.

Taylor smiles and looks at Belly's eyes. "Zero clumps! I'm a genius!"

"Oh, we should totally wear these to the party!" Taylor says reaching for the flower headbands Susannah got us to wear at Belly's birthday dinner.

"I'm in!" I say. "I love the flowers," I grin, placing mine on my head.

"Hot, definitely hot," Taylor agrees as I do a twirl.

"Why, thank you," I smile, doing a bow.

"Oh, those are just something fun Susannah got us to wear for my birthday dinner. I'm ant it weird if we wear them outside of the house?" Belly asks, she's fiddling with her hands so I can tell it makes her kind of nervous to step out of her comfort zone.

"No," me and Taylor say in unison. We giggle, locking eyes with one another. "It's hot," we say together once again letting out another fit of giggles. Taylor takes the flower headband and puts it on Belly's head.

"Look as us," Taylor says turning us to the mirror. "We're hot ass bitches!"